1,000 homeowners to apply for pyrite redress scheme

Owners of an estimated 1,000 properties in need of immediate works are expected to apply for the redress scheme under the €10m package to repair pyrite-riddled homes approved by the Government.

Environment Minister Phil Hogan said an initial €10m has been set aside to start the scheme, with additional funding allocated over the next two years.

Pyrite, or iron pyrite, is a mineral also known as fool’s gold. Where present in building materials — such as backfill used under floors — the mineral can swell over time causing buckling in concrete floor slabs, difference in flooring levels, cracking in internal walls, and sometimes movement in outside walls.